Cheat: a caste that likes company

The Viticulture Commission describes Batoca as a grape variety grown mainly in Basto. It produces large bunches, but the production is irregular. It usually appears in white batch wines, combined with Arinto or Azal; it is rare to use it alone. A bottle can therefore gather different varieties. The regional link does not identify the varieties planted in a concrete farm of Cabeceiras.

The chart describes a large and clear sheet, with a reddish area at the beginning of the ribs. It refers to medium maturation; Azal, on the contrary, is late. Sharing the region does not mean having the same calendar. That is why meeting several grape varieties makes the landscape of the vineyard more interesting than a simple green spot.

Also the names travel: the record records Alvaraça in the Douro, Espadeiro Branco in Lousada and Sedouro or Sá Douro in the south of the region. They are not new castes added to the lot; they are designations of Batoca in different places.